New Belfast Mural – Local street artist Rob Hilken has painted the town red, yellow, pink and blue, and a whole spectrum of bright colours in-between, with the introduction of a new city centre mural outside Belfast hotel, Bullitt.
The striking piece has breathed new life into the hotel’s façade, above the entrance to the Bullitt’s popular courtyard on Church Lane.
The colourful and eye-catching mural follows an earlier work by the same artist at the bottom of the street, bringing the concept full circle.
“At the beginning of last year, I worked with the Business Improvement District to create a mural on the corner of High Street and Church Lane,” says Rob Hilken “The aim for the project was to design a piece that promoted the area as being a dynamic, social, and vibrant area to enjoy a night out. I titled the mural ‘From Dawn ‘Til Dusk’, and it features three circles, like an ellipsis, to highlight what is coming.”
The new mural, commissioned by Bullitt, was completed this summer and picks up on this story, as Rob explains.
“This new mural shows what is happening next,” says Rob. “The starting point for creating the new mural was for it to be about people. I know that it may seem funny to reflect this with shapes and colours, but when you first meet somebody for the first time and you look into their eyes, the first thing you see are circles. The eyes are circles, so circles are like a kind of window into someone’s soul.
“Bullitt is about people, first and foremost, and then the bright colours used come from a place of inclusivity. I wanted the spectrum of colours to reflect the spectrum of people that we meet on a daily basis.”
Commenting on the new mural, Bullitt’s general manager, Andy Carson said: “It has been amazing to work with Rob Hilken and we are thrilled with the mural that he has created. Bullitt is a welcoming and inclusive space that’s frequented by a diverse clientele, so the theme of inclusion is very in keeping with our ethos.
“This is the latest in a series of collaborations, working in partnership with local artists to help us add character, not only our building, but to improve the aesthetics and support regeneration of the many busy thoroughfares that surround the hotel. We hope that it will be enjoyed by our guests and passersby alike for many years to come.”
For further information, visit bullitthotel.com or connect with @BullittBelfast on Instagram.
About Rob Hilken
Rob is an artist based at Vault Artist Studios in Belfast. His work is disruptive. He works across disciplines, whether it takes the form of a large-scale mural that interrupts people’s journeys, unexpected participatory performances or a more meticulous studio piece, he aims to to disrupt the way we experience the world around us.
His work is routed in the familiar and the every day: things that have become embedded and accepted in our lives so much that we barely register them. These things are his starting point: patterns, geometry, mass-produced objects, popular culture, social customs, and even religious iconography. He will often then disrupt these familiar ideas or visuals with a chaotic intervention, or present them in an unexpected way.
His 2022 solo exhibition used painting, sculpture, video and photography to explore areas where gambling and religion intertwine. As with much of his work, he used humour as an entry point for audiences to engage with the potentially challenging subject matter.
He has become embedded in the Irish street art scene where, alongside many of his fellow Vaulters, he regularly contributes to the annual ‘Hit the North’ street art festival in Belfast. He has produced murals across Ireland including large works in Banbridge, Coleraine and Killeshandra, where he has responded to the culture and heritage of the local area whilst keeping his distinctive use of patterns and repetition at the fore.
In a well-known work from 2012, Rob served up over 100 Ulster fry-ups in Ormeau Park as part of the Household Festival of Contemporary Art. He assembled a small team of chefs to cook and give away for free to an impromptu gathering of people. The feast became a space for conversation and a humourous way to explore national identity, a contentious subject matter in Belfast.
Rob was a founding member of Vault Artist Studios and served as a trustee on the board for the first six years of the life of the collective. He studied fine art at Belfast Met (2012) and was previously a co-director of Catalyst Arts (2012-14).
